The goddess Ma'at

Ma'at, to have been pronounced as *Muʔʕat (Muh-aht),^[1] was the Ancient Egyptian concept of order—law, morality, and justice^[2] which was deified as a goddess.^[3] Ma'at was seen as being charged with regulating the stars, seasons, and the actions of both mortals and the deities, ^[4] after she had set the order of the universe from chaos at the moment of creation. Maat may refer to: In Egyptology: Maàt, Egyptian goddess Maat Kheru, the true intonation with which the dead must recite magical incantations according to Maspus In other fields: Albert Jan Maat, Dutch politician and Member of the European Parliament Horus-Maat Lodge, fraternal and magical organization Maat, naval rank... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (599x1287, 241 KB) Summary Published in The Gods of the Egyptians Volume 1 by E. A. Wallis Budge, circa 1904. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (599x1287, 241 KB) Summary Published in The Gods of the Egyptians Volume 1 by E. A. Wallis Budge, circa 1904. ... Khafres Pyramid and the Great Sphinx of Giza, built about 2550 BC during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom,[1] are enduring symbols of the civilization of ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt was a civilization in Northeastern Africa concentrated along the middle to lower reaches of the Nile River... For other uses, see Law (disambiguation). ... Morality (from the Latin manner, character, proper behaviour) has three principal meanings. ... This article is about the concept of justice. ... Apotheosis - the posthumous transformation of a Roman emperor into a god, Theosis - being unified with God in East Orthodox theology of salvation, Assigning divine qualities to any mortal and, usually, worshipping that person as if they were a supernatural being. ... For the 1934 film, see, see The Goddess (1934 film). ...

Later, as a goddess in other traditions of the Egyptian pantheon, where most goddesses were paired with a male aspect, her masculine counterpart was Thoth and their attributes are the same.^[5] Like Thoth,^[6] she was seen to represent the Logos of Plato.^[7] After the rise of Ra they were depicted as guiding his boat, one on either side. Ancient Egyptian religion was polytheistic. ... Thoth (Ramesseum, Luxor) Thoth (his Greek name derived from the Egyptian *, written by Egyptians as ) was considered one of the most important deities of the Egyptian pantheon, often depicted with the head of an ibis. ... This article is about logos (logoi) in ancient Greek philosophy, mathematics, rhetoric, Theophilosophy, and Christianity. ... PLATO was one of the first generalized Computer assisted instruction systems, originally built by the University of Illinois (U of I) and later taken over by Control Data Corporation (CDC), who provided the machines it ran on. ... For other uses, see Ra (disambiguation). ...

After her role in creation and continuously preventing the universe from returning to chaos, her primary role in Egyptian mythology dealt with the weighing of souls that took place in the underworld, Duat.^[8] Her feather was the measure that determined whether the souls (considered to reside in the heart) of the departed would reach the paradise of afterlife successfully. Egyptian mythology or Egyptian religion is the succession of tentative beliefs held by the people of Egypt for over three thousand years, prior to major exposure to Christianity and Islam. ... In Egyptian mythology, Duat (also called Akert or Amenthes) is the underworld, where the sun traveled from west to east during the night and where dead souls were judged by Osiris, using a feather, representing Truth. ...

Ma'at as a goddess

Goddess Ma'at[9][10] in hieroglyphs

or or or or or or or

The goddess Ma'at is the personification of physical and moral law, justice, order, and truth^[11] represented as a woman, sitting or standing, holding a sceptre in one hand and an ankh in the other. Sometimes she is depicted with wings on each arm or as a woman with an ostrich feather on her head.^[12] It has been suggested that Hieroglyph (French Wiki article) be merged into this article or section. ... Phillipp Veits Germania (1877), a personification of Germany. ... For other uses, see Law (disambiguation). ... Time Saving Truth from Falsehood and Envy, François Lemoyne, 1737 For other uses, see Truth (disambiguation). ... Diverse women. ... For the record label, see Scepter Records. ... For other uses, see Ankh (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Wing (disambiguation). ... Look up ARM in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... // Binomial name Carolus Linnaeus, 1758 The present-day distribution of Ostriches. ... Two feathers Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds. ... “Human Head” redirects here. ...

Because it also was the pharaoh's duty to ensure truth and justice, many of them were referred to as Meri-Ma'at (Beloved of Ma'at). Since she was considered as merely the concept of order and truth, it was thought that she came into existence at the moment of creation, having no creator and made the order of the entire universe from the chaos. For other uses, see Pharaoh (disambiguation). ...

When beliefs about Thoth arose in the Egyptian pantheon and started to consume the earlier beliefs at Hermopolis about the Ogdoad, it was said that she was the mother of the Ogdoad and Thoth the father. Ancient Egyptian religion was polytheistic. ... Black siltstone obelisk of King Nectanebo II. According to the vertical inscriptions he set up this obelisk at the doorway of the sanctuary of Thoth, the Twice-Great, Lord of Hermopolis. ... In Egyptian mythology, the Ogdoad are the eight deities worshipped in Hermopolis. ...

In Duat, the Egyptian underworld, the hearts of the dead were said to be weighed against her single Shu feather, symbolically representing the concept of Ma'at, in the Hall of Two Truths. A heart which was unworthy was devoured by the goddess Ammit and its owner condemned to remain in Duat. The heart was considered the location of the soul by ancient Egyptians. Those people with good, (and pure), hearts were sent on to Aaru. Osiris came to be seen as the guardian of the gates of Aaru after he became part of the Egyptian pantheon and displaced Anubis in the Ogdoad tradition. In Egyptian mythology, Duat (also called Akert or Amenthes) is the underworld, where the sun traveled from west to east during the night and where dead souls were judged by Osiris, using a feather, representing Truth. ... For other uses, see Underworld (disambiguation). ... A depiction of PAJARO in a late period papyrus, showing his decorated leonine body, and crocodile head. ... In Egyptian mythology, the fields of Aaru (alternatives: Yaaru, Iaru, Aalu), are the heavenly underworld where Osiris ruled. ... For other uses, see Osiris (disambiguation). ...

A section of the Egyptian Book of the Dead written on papyrus showing the Weighing of the Heart in Duat using the feather of Ma'at as the measure in balance

The weighing of the heart, pictured on papyrus, (in the Book of the Dead, typically, or in tomb scenes, etc.), shows Anubis overseeing the weighing, the lioness Ammit seated awaiting the results so she could consume those who failed. The image would be the vertical heart on one flat surface of the balance scale, and the vertical Shu-feather standing on the other balance scale surface. Other traditions hold that Anubis brought the soul before the posthumous Osiris who performed the weighing. Image:Egypt. ... Image:Egypt. ... The Book of the Dead comd A Section of Plate 3 from the Papyrus of Ani. ... For other uses, see Papyrus (disambiguation). ... The Book of the Dead comd A Section of Plate 3 from the Papyrus of Ani. ... For other uses, see Anubis (disambiguation). ... A depiction of PAJARO in a late period papyrus, showing his decorated leonine body, and crocodile head. ... For other uses, see Anubis (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Osiris (disambiguation). ...

Ma'at was commonly depicted in ancient Egyptian art as a woman with outstretched wings and a "curved" ostrich feather on her head or, sometimes, just as a feather. These images are on some sarcophagi as a symbol of protection for the souls of the dead. Egyptians believed that without Ma'at there would be only the primal chaos, ending the world. It was seen as the pharaoh's necessity to apply just law, following Ma'at. This article is about the philosophical concept of Art. ... // Binomial name Carolus Linnaeus, 1758 The present-day distribution of Ostriches. ... The Etruscan Sarcophagus of the Spouses, at the National Etruscan Museum. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Chaos. ... This article is about the concept of justice. ...

Ma'at as a principle

Ma'at as a principle was at least partially codified into a set of laws, and expressed a ubiquitous concept of correct from wrong characterized by concepts of truth and a respect for, and adherence to, this divine order believed to be set forth by her at the time of the world's creation. This divine order was primarily conceived of as being modeled in various environmental, agricultural, and social relationships. This article is about law in society. ...

In addition to the importance of the Ma'at, several other principles within Ancient Egyptian law were essential, including an adherence to tradition as opposed to change, the importance of rhetorical skill, and the significance of achieving impartiality, and social equality. Thus, to the Egyptian mind, Ma'at bound all things together in an indestructible unity: the universe, the natural world, the state, and the individual were all seen as parts of the wider order generated by Ma'at.

During the Greek period in Egyptian history, Greek law existed alongside that of the Egyptian law, but usually these laws favored the Greeks. When the Romans took control of Egypt, the Roman legal system which existed throughout the Roman empire was imposed in Egypt.

The underlying concepts of Taoism and Confucianism resemble Ma'at at times. Many of these concepts were codified into laws, and many of the concepts often were discussed by ancient Egyptian philosophers and officials who referred to the spiritual text known as the Book of the Dead. This article is about the Chinese character and the philosophy it represents. ... Wenmiao Temple, a Confucian Temple in Wuwei, Gansu, Peoples Republic of China. ... The Book of the Dead comd A Section of Plate 3 from the Papyrus of Ani. ...

Later scholars and philosophers also would embody concepts from the wisdom literature, or seboyet.^[13] These spiritual texts dealt with common social or professional situations and how each was best to be resolved or addressed in the spirit of Ma'at- it was very practical advice, and highly case-based, so that few specific and general rules could be derived from them. Wisdom literature is the a genre of literature common in the Ancient Near East. ...

Ma'at themes found in Book of the Dead and tomb enscriptions

One aspect of ancient Egyptian funerary literature which often is mistaken for a codified ethic of Ma'at is Chapter 125 of the Book of the Dead, often called the 42 Declarations of Purity or the Negative Confession. These declarations varied somewhat from tomb to tomb, and so can not be considered a canonical definition of Ma'at. Rather, they appear to express each tomb owner's individual conception of Ma'at, as well as working as a magical absolution (misdeeds or mistakes made by the tomb owner in life could be declared as not having been done, and through the power of the written word, wipe that particular misdeed from the afterlife record of the deceased). The Book of the Dead comd A Section of Plate 3 from the Papyrus of Ani. ...

Many of the lines are similar, however, and they can help to give the student a "flavor" for the sorts of things which Ma'at governed—essentially everything from the most formal to the most mundane aspect of life.

Many versions are given on-line, unfortunately seldom do they note the tomb from which they came or, whether they are a collection from various different tombs. Generally, they are each addressed to a specific deity, described in his or her most fearsome aspect.

The doctrine of Ma'at is represented in the declarations to Rekhti-merti-f-ent-Ma'at and the 42 negative affirmations listed in the Papyrus of Ani:

Declarations to Rekhti-merti-f-ent-Ma'at

Verily I have come to thee, I have brought to thee Ma'at.

1. I have driven away for thee wickedness.

2. I have not done iniquity to mankind.

3. Not have I done harm unto animals.

4. Not have I done wickedness in the place of Ma'at.

5. Not have I known evil.

6. Not have I acted wickedly.

7. Not have I done each day and every works above what I should do.

8. Not hath come forth my name to the boat of the Prince.

9. Not have I despised God.

10. Not have I caused misery.

11. Not have I caused affliction.

12. Not have I done what is abominable to God.

13. Not have I caused harm to be done to the servant by his chief.

14. Not have I caused pain.

15. Not have I made to weep.

16. Not have I killed.

17. Not have I made the order for killing for me.

18. Not have I done harm to mankind.

19. Not have I taken aught of the oblations in the temples.

20. Not have I purloined the cakes of the gods.

21. Not have I carried off the offerings of the blessed dead.

22. Not have I fornicated.

23. Not have I defiled myself.

24. Not have I added to, not have I diminished the offerings.

25. Not have I stolen from the orchard.

26. Not have I trampled down the fields.

27. I have not added to the weight of the balance.

28. Not have I diminished from the weight of the balance.

29. Not have I carried off the milk from the mouth of the babe.

30. Not have I driven away the cattle which were upon their pastures.

31. Not have I captured the birds of the preserves of the gods.

32. Not have I taken the fishes [with bait] of their own bodies.

33. Not have I turned back water at its season.

34. Not have I cut a cutting in water running.

35. Not have I extinguished a flame at its hour.

36. Not have I violated the times for the chosen offerings.

37. Not have I driven back the cattle of divine things.

38. I have not repulsed God in his manifestations.

I, even I, am pure. Times four.^[14]

42 Negative Confessions

1. Not have I done wrong.

2. Not have I despoiled.

3. Not have I robbed.

4. Not have I slain men: twice.

5. Not have I defrauded the offerings.

6. Not have I diminished [oblations].

7. Not have I despoiled the things of the god.

8. Not have I spoken lies.

9. Not have I carried off food.

10. Not have I afflicted [any]

11. Not have I committed fornication.

12. Not have I made to weep.

13. Not have I eaten my heart.

14. Not have I transgressed.

15. Not have I acted deceitfully.

16. Not have I desolated ploughed lands.

17. Not have I been an eavesdropper.

18. Not have I set my mouth in motion [against any man].

19. Not have I raged except with a cause.

20. Not have I defiled the wife of a man.

21. Not have I defiled the wife of a man.

22. Not have I polluted myself.

23. Not have I caused terror.

24. Not have I committed offense

25. Not have I inflamed myself with rage.

26. Not have I made deaf myself to the words of right and truth.

27. Not have I caused grief.

28. Not have I acted insolently.

29. Not have I stirred up strife.

30. Not have I judged hastily.

31. Not have I been an eavesdropper.

32. Not have I multiplied my words upon words.

33. Not have I harmed, not have I done evil.

34. Not have I made curses of the king.

35. Not have I fouled water.

36. Not have I made haughty my voice.

37. Not have I have I cursed God.

38. Not have I committed theft.

39. Not have I defrauded the offerings of the gods.

40. Not have I carried away offerings from the beatified ones.

41. Not have I carried off the food of the infant, not have I sinned against the god of the town.

42. Not have I slaughtered the cattle divine.^[15]

Notes

References

• Budge, E. A. Wallis. The Egyptian Book of the Dead: (The Papyrus of Ani) Egyptian Text Transliteration and Translation. New York: Dover Publications, 1967. Originally published in 1895.
• Budge, E. A. Wallis. The Gods of the Egyptians: Studies in Egyptian Mythology - Volume 1. New York: Dover Publications, 1969. Originally published in 1904.
• Collier, Mark and Manly, Bill. How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: Revised Edition. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998.
• Faulkner, Raymond. The Egyptian Book of the Dead. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1994.
• Mancini, Anna. Ma'at Revealed: Philosophy of Justice in Ancient Egypt. New York: Buenos Books America, 2004.
• Strudwick, Helen. The Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt. Singapore: De Agostini UK, 2006.

External links

• Egypt: Law and the Legal System in Ancient Egypt by Mark Andrews
• A list of the 42 Principles of Ma'at

v • d • e Ancient Egypt-related topics

Architecture · Art · Chronology · Cuisine · Dynasties · Geography · History · Mathematics · Medicine · Religion · Pharaohs · People · Language · Sites · Technology · Writing Khafres Pyramid and the Great Sphinx of Giza, built about 2550 BC during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom,[1] are enduring symbols of the civilization of ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt was a civilization in Northeastern Africa concentrated along the middle to lower reaches of the Nile River... Image File history File links Egypt. ... For at least ten thousand years, the Nile valley has been the site of one of the most influential civilizations in the world which developed a vast array of structures known as Ancient Egyptian architecture. ... This article has been tagged since January 2007. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... An Egyptian couple harvesting from a painting in the tomb from the early Ramessid period. ... This page lists articles on dynasties of Ancient Egypt. ... Main article: Ancient Egypt Archaeological evidence indicates that a distinct culture was developing in the Nile valley from before 5000 BC. What is now called the Pharaonic Period is dated from around 3100 BC, when Egypt became a unified state, until its survival as an independent state ceased in 332... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... For other uses, see Pharaoh (disambiguation). ... Map of Ancient Egypt List of Ancient Egyptian sites, throughout all of Egypt and Nubia Sites are listed with their classical name whenever possible, else their modern name and last if no other available their ancient name. ... Ancient Egyptian technology is a set of artifacts and customs that lasted for thousands of years. ... The writing systems of ancient Egypt include: Egyptian hieroglyphs Cursive hieroglphs Hieratic Demotic the Coptic alphabet Other texts discovered in Egypt and dating to the period before Islam include those written in: the Greek alphabet the Latin alphabet the Cuneiform script the Old Persian cuneiform script Tifinagh the South Arabian... Egyptology · Egyptologists · Egyptology portal The Great Sphinx of Giza against Khafres Pyramid at the Giza pyramid complex. ... Egyptologist is the designation given to an archaeologist or historian who specialises in Egyptology, the scientific study of Ancient Egypt and its antiquities. ...